Ancient Grain Beef Stew — When Ma’s in the Kitchen, You Take Notes

Two weeks to the first monthly pop-up. The pho broth test run happened this weekend and it was a production. Sixty pounds of beef knuckle and marrow bones, roasted at 400 degrees until deep mahogany. Ten pounds of oxtail. Charred ginger — four pounds. Charred onion — six pounds. The spice sachet: star anise, cinnamon sticks, coriander, cloves, fennel. Fish sauce by the cup, not the tablespoon. Rock sugar by the handful. Ma was in command. She stood at my stove — two stockpots going simultaneously, each holding thirty quarts — and orchestrated the broth the way she's been doing for fifty years. She tasted with a spoon. She adjusted without measuring. She said, "More fish sauce," twice, and "Less sugar," once, and I obeyed because in the matter of pho broth, Mai Tran is the Supreme Court. The broth simmered for fourteen hours. We started at 8 AM Saturday. By 10 PM, the kitchen smelled like the inside of Ma's house amplified by a factor of ten. The neighbors could smell it. Tam Nguyen came over and asked if he could have a bowl. I gave him a bowl. He ate it standing in my driveway and said, "Bobby, this is your mother's pho." I said, "Yes it is." The yield: fifty quarts of broth. Enough for approximately 120 bowls. We need 80 bowls for the pop-up (not everyone will order pho — some will want brisket plates). Fifty quarts gives us headroom. The broth is frozen in gallon containers in my chest freezer. On the day, we'll thaw and reheat. Ma says reheated pho broth is "acceptable if you have no choice." She'd prefer to make it fresh. I told her we can't start a fourteen-hour broth at midnight before a pop-up that also requires a fourteen-hour brisket. She said, "Why not?" Because I'm forty-five and my knee hurts and I need to sleep, Ma. That's why not. Emma taste-tested the broth and said, "This is better than your regular pho, Dad." I said, "That's because Ma made it." Emma said, "I know. That's what I said." The hierarchy in this family is clear: Ma at the top, followed by the broth, followed by Emma's knife skills, followed by me. Two weeks. Brisket and pho. The full Bobby Tran experience. I'm ready.

Fifty quarts of pho broth in the chest freezer and two weeks until the pop-up — but watching Ma work those stockpots for fourteen hours reminded me that the real lesson she’s been teaching me my whole life isn’t about pho specifically, it’s about patience with beef and heat and time. This Ancient Grain Beef Stew is what I make in the days after a production run like that, when the kitchen still smells faintly of star anise and I want something deeply savory and restorative without committing to another all-day project. It’s not pho — Ma would be the first to tell you that — but it carries the same spirit: good bones, slow heat, don’t rush it.

Ancient Grain Beef Stew

Prep Time: 20 minutes | Cook Time: 2 hours | Total Time: 2 hours 20 minutes | Servings: 8

Ingredients

• 2 lbs beef chuck roast, cut into 1-inch cubes
• 1 cup farro, rinsed
• 1/2 cup pearled barley
• 3 medium carrots, sliced into rounds
• 3 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 large yellow onion, diced
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 can (14.5 oz) diced tomatoes, undrained
• 6 cups low-sodium beef broth
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons tomato paste
• 1 teaspoon dried thyme
• 1 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
• 1 bay leaf
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon black pepper
• Fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped, for serving

Instructions

1. Brown the beef. Pat beef cubes dry and season with salt and pepper. Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven or heavy-bottomed pot over medium-high heat. Working in batches to avoid crowding, sear beef on all sides until deeply browned, about 3–4 minutes per batch. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
2. Build the base. Reduce heat to medium. Add onion, carrots, and celery to the same pot and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 6 minutes. Add garlic and tomato paste and cook for 1 minute more, until fragrant.
3. Deglaze and combine. Pour in 1/2 cup of the beef broth and scrape up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the remaining broth, diced tomatoes, thyme, rosemary, and bay leaf. Return the browned beef and any accumulated juices to the pot.
4. Add the grains. Stir in the farro and barley. Bring the stew to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 1 hour 30 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the beef is fork-tender and the grains are fully cooked and have thickened the broth.
5. Finish and serve. Remove the bay leaf. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt and pepper. Ladle into bowls and top with fresh parsley. Serve with crusty bread.

Nutrition (per serving)

Calories: 375 | Protein: 29g | Fat: 11g | Carbs: 38g | Fiber: 6g | Sodium: 610mg